NXT Results 03/01/11 - Season 4 Finale

NXT Results from Cleveland, OH:

The show opened with a video of highlights showing the previous eliminations of NXT Season 4. It has all lead up to tonight's finale, with just Johnny Curtis and Brodus Clay remaining.

Both Curtis and Clay got to talk about what it would mean to win NXT. Curtis said he's been fighting his whole life and Clay has tried to put him on the shelf since day 1. Curtis said tonight he may knock Clay's teeth down his throat. Brodus laughed and responded by saying he could tell Curtis is a tough guy when he looked him in the eyes. Clay said tonight he's going to beat Curtis, and he will leave Cleveland a winner, just like Lebron James did.

Striker said Curtis and Clay will settle their differences in a match, coming up next.

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Johnny Curtis vs. Brodus Clay

Early into the match, Curtis got sent to the outside. He fought back against Clay from the apron. Curtis missed a move moments later off the second rope, allowing for big Brodus Clay to land an elbow drop before commercial break.

After break, Curtis was able to use his power to escape a nerve submission hold. Clay flipped Curtis to the mat on his back. Clay hit a huge suplex and had a near fall. He continued using the submission nerve pinch on Curtis. The Cleveland crowed rallied Curtis who countered. Clay missed on a corner splash attempt. Grisham brought up the Curtis is 3-6 this season in matches, while Clay has a 6-3 record. Clay was able to go against the ropes, then come back for a huge splash on Curtis to get the pinfall win.

Winner: Brodus Clay wins via pinfall over Johnny Curtis.

Backstage, Daniel Bryan was with Derrick Bateman, dressed in a Cleveland Browns shirt. Bryan reminded Bateman that he said last week if Bateman was eliminated, he'd punch him in the face. Bateman put on some glasses and told Bryan he wouldn't hit him with glasses on. Bryan punched him anyways, then told Bateman about his upcoming NXT reunion tag match. Bateman got pumped up for the match.

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Derrick Bateman & Conor O'Brian vs. Byron Saxton & Jacob Novak

This match was a NXT season 4 reunion tag match featuring the previous 4 eliminated rookies.

During the match, Josh Matthews noted that Derrick Bateman has over 100 guests in the audience rooting him on tonight, mostly friends and family members. Early on, Novak and Saxton worked on O'Brian in the corner. Moments later, Novak got a running knee from the apron into O'Brian as the ref was distracted. Novak had a near fall of 1.

O'Brian started to fight back against the opponents but couldn't make the hot tag, as Saxton got in to cut him off. Finally, O'Brian made an escape to hot tag Bateman into the match. He suplexed Saxton, then hit a huge chop. Saxton came back hitting a jawbreaker on Derrick. Saxton tried to tag in Novak, but Novak decided to leave the match, dropping off the apron.

Bateman hit a big dropkick in the corner on Byron, then followed with a neck snap. He finished Saxton off with a move to smash Byron face first into the mat.

Winners: Derrick Bateman and Conor O'Brian win via pinfall over Byron Saxton and Jacob Novak.

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The commentators sent it to Matt Striker in the ring with Brodus Clay and Johnny Curtis. Striker gave a big thanks to all of the pros who gave guidance to the rookies throughout the season.

Striker said it's now time to find out who the WWE's next breakout star will be. They showed the usual Titantron graphics switching between Clay and Curtis. Finally it stopped on Johnny Curtis' picture. Curtis sank to his knees crying. R-Truth rushed into the ring. Meanwhile, Brodus Clay went over to the ropes and hung his head in his hands looking upset over the realization he lost.

Todd Grisham said this is a dream come true for Curtis after bouncing around from orphanage to orphanage as a youngster. R-Truth got on the mic and told the crowd Johnny Curtis is showing real emotions now, and that's what this moment is all about. Striker gave Curtis the mic and a chance to speak.

Curtis shook hands with Striker and then offered a handshake to Brodus Clay in good sportsmanship. Curtis thanked his father for working hard early in his life, the WWE fans, and the help of his mentor, R-Truth.

Striker gave Brodus Clay a chance to speak too. Clay told the WWE Universe they took away his WWE moment even though he won every competition he had to. Clay said he gets it, he doesn't look like any of them. Clay said he's going to take their heroes away because they took something from him. Clay started to generate serious heat with his angry rant on the mic. He finally left the ring and walked up the ramp telling the camera to get out of his face.

R-Truth revved up the crowd in several "What's Up" yells, then did a Cleveland "What's Up!" Next week, Season 5 of NXT starts up.

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NXT Results 02/22/11

WWE NXT Results from Sacramento, CA:

The showed video from earlier today Johnny Curtis with his mentor, R-Truth hugging. Truth told Curtis none of the Pros will be on tonight's episode of NXT. He told Curtis it's time to take off his training wheels. Curtis told Truth he's a one-man wolfpack and then howled.

Another camera showed Ricardo Rodriguez telling Brodus Clay he would be on his own tonight, so he needs to get it done.

Finally, a camera caught Daniel Bryan and Derrick Bateman in the locker room. They were both on the floor resting. Bryan told Bateman if he comes to NXT next week and Derrick's eliminated, he'll punch him. Bateman said "it's time to cowboy up" then put on a cowboy hat.

The NXT intro video aired and then it went to the arena with commentators Grisham and Matthews.

Matt Striker was with the rookies for the first challenge of the night, the obstacle course. It was a unique set of obstacles including a beer pong station, tower-building area, cup-flipping, and using chopsticks to re-arrange some dice. The crowd booed them over this concept.

Johnny Curtis was able to complete the course in 1:19:0, while Bateman failed to beat that time. Brodus Clay got through several of the obstacles but then played around with cup-flipping, ending up losing out. Johnny Curtis wins the challenge and 3 immunity points.

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Johnny Curtis vs. Derrick Bateman vs. Brodus Clay

Late in this triple threat match involving the three remaining NXT rookies, Curtis hit a guillotine leg drop on Brodus for a near fall. Curtis tried to pin Bateman, but he escaped as well. It took all three guys some time to get to their feet. Bateman and Curtis hit a double suplex on each other. Curtis then did a suplex to smash Bateman on top of Clay. Curtis rolled up Bateman for the winning pinfall.

Winner: Johnny Curtis wins via pinfall over Derrick Bateman.

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They showed a Raw Rebound which featured John Cena's rap response to The Rock's speech last Monday night. Cena dissed The Rock's various movie roles in a new rap song, before leaving the ring.

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Time for the "Talk the Talk" challenge with 3 points on the line. Striker was in-ring with Curtis, Bateman and Clay. Clay leads with 5 immunity points. Curtis is in second with 2 points. He went first and didn't talk trash really, just played up to the crowd.

Bateman talked about having a golden dream in Sacramento, where he is king. Audience wasn't having it. Brodus Clay went last and got a huge ovation as he mentioned areas of CA to get the crowd riled up. Striker polled the crowd and Brodus Clay easily won the crowd support in his hometown, earning him immunity tonight. That means either Bateman or Curtis gets eliminated tonight.

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Todd Grisham said NXT episodes can be seen on WWE.com, YouTube and Hulu.com. Voting for NXT Season finale winner starts tomorrow at noon EST on WWE.com.

Striker had all 3 rookies at the bottom of the ramp in front of the ring. It's time for the latest NXT rookie elimination. Brodus Clay has 8 immunity points and can't get eliminated tonight. It will be Johnny Curtis or Derrick Bateman going home tonight.

Striker had Curtis and Bateman's images flash back and forth on the screen. Suddenly it stopped on Bateman, shocking Grisham and many others. Bateman seemed shocked himself. Curtis was also shocked by it.

He got to give a farewell speech, saying he felt he's proven he's the future of the industry and the most entertaining NXT competitor. Bateman mumbled something at the end and the commentators were clueless what he said. Josh Matthews said he's sure Bateman is upset over the elimination. He started up the ramp, stopped and shook his head then kept going.

As Bateman was heading up the ramp, Brodus Clay attacked Johnny Curtis and knocked him to the outside floor. A replay showed Curtis looking up the ramp as Clay rushed over and clotheslined him down to the floor. Clay walked up the ramp as Striker helped Curtis up near the ring.

The commentators showed a replay of Bateman getting the news he was eliminated and the shocked look on his pal Johnny Curtis' face. Next week is the NXT Season 4 finale, where the next rookie will be crowned in Cleveland, Ohio.

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WWE NXT Results 02/08/11

WWE NXT Results from Green Bay, WI:

After a highlight video showing recaps of the past weeks of NXT Season 4, Striker had the four rookies ready for an opening challenge. It was "Rock Em, Sock Em Joust." The rookies had to try to knock their opponent off a podium with the Gladiator joust stick.

First up was Bateman vs Curtis. Bateman managed to win the first round although Curtis shoved him after falling off. Next up, Brodus Clay got himself DQ'd by shoving Saxton off. Clay got on the mic to say that this contest isn't made for someone his size, and he would make a statement in the ring later on.

In the finals, Saxton and Bateman both fell off their podiums. Originally, Saxton was called the winner, but a reply showed his foot touched the ground first. They had a re-do, and this time around Saxton was the clear cut winner. He got 2 immunity points for that. That makes it Curtis with 3 points, Bateman and Saxton with 2 each.

Byron Saxton vs. Derrick Bateman

Masters got the crowd going with a "turd" chant for Ziggler during the match. Bateman got inspired, then hit a back drop suplex on Saxton. He kicked Saxton in the chest and later hit a corner dropkick on him. In the close, Saxton went for a small package on Bateman. Bateman came back by using Daniel Bryan's LeBell Lock to force Saxton to tap out.

Winner: Derrick Bateman wins via submission over Byron Saxton.

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The next NXT competition was a WWE Shop Challenge in the spirit of Price is Right. The rookies would have to guess a suggested retail price of each WWE merchandise item. NXT Season 3 rookies AJ and Naomi were special helpers for the challenge. The items they had to guess included the Top 50 Superstars of All-Time, WWE Kids Magazine, World Heavyweight Replica belt and the WWE Championship History Book. Brodus Clay won the challenge and got 3 immunity points for it, tying with Curtis for the most points.

Backstage, Truth had a talk with Johnny Curtis. Truth said Curtis needs to ignore all the trash talk he's been hearing from the other guys saying Truth doesn't like Curtis. They hugged and Truth left so Curtis could get ready for the match.

Johnny Curtis vs. Brodus Clay

As the match was starting, Josh Matthews said he just got a note saying he gets to decide who gets immunity tonight. Dolph Ziggler got up and did a "Milwaukee, Wisconsin, what's up?!" taunt, drawing boos from the crowd.

Truth and Rodriguez were on the apron to coach the rookies. Early on, Brodus took control and tossed Curtis out through the ropes. Curtis managed to gain some control back in the ring, booting Clay in the face as he rushed at him in the corner. Clay regained control and dropped Curtis gut-first on the top rope.

Later in the match, Clay did a standing side headlock on Curtis. Curtis started to punch his way out but Clay locked the hold on again. The crowd started up a "turd" chant to get Ziggler, so Ziggler asked if they were doing a "nerd" chant for Daniel Bryan. Ziggler threatened to leave and then went backstage but returned a few moments later.

Curtis landed a leg drop over the top rope on Clay for a near fall. Curtis managed to get a huge dropkick from the corner, but Clay rolled over and got out to the apron to avoid a pinfall. Clay snapped Curtis by his neck across the top rope. Clay finished Curtis with a huge powerslam for the victory. Rodriguez got i nthe ring to announce Clay as the winner.

Winner: Brodus Clay wins via pinfall over Johnny Curtis.

Matt Striker told the pros up on the stage to huddle up and get to the voting, because elimination is coming up.

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Striker took a poll of the crowd to determine who would get immunity, Clay or Curtis. They gave Curtis more cheers, so Striker said he could fall back in line. Striker had them roll through the NXT rookie pictures up on the big screen and it stopped on Byron Saxton.

Striker tried to get some closing comments from Byron, who seemed choked up. He composed himself and got on the mic saying he didn't understand how the WWE Universe could make this decision. He said he forgives them then, because one day that little birdie known as "common sense" will come back home and everything will be "A-OK." Saxton started up the ramp, but Ziggler walked down and asked what he was smiling about. Ziggler screamed at him that he was disgusted by him. Ziggler told him to get out now. Chris Masters taunted on the mic saying if Saxton was a real man he'd punch Ziggler now. Saxton stayed in place and smirked at Ziggler then pointed at him as NXT went off the air. The pro's up on stage looked confused as to what Saxton was doing.

WWE NXT Results 02/01/11

NXT Results from Long Island, NY:

Striker introduced all of the rookie/pro pairings left: Bateman/Bryan, Saxton/Ziggler, Curtis/Truth and Clay without Del Rio. Striker asked Ricardo Rodriguez where Del Rio is. He told him that Del Rio has had so much to do since winning the Royal Rumble, that he couldn't be there tonight.

Striker had the first contest of the night ready to go, the arm wrestling contest for 3 immunity points. Curtis defeated Saxton quick in the first matchup. Next up, Clay went against Bateman as Rodriguez talked at 100mph. Clay won easily. In the finals, Clay went against Curtis, but he ended up using a headbutt on him. Curtis was awarded the competition and two immunity points.

Chris Masters vs. Byron Saxton

The former pro and rookie pairing squared off. In the late moments of this contest, Masters overpowered Saxton and leveled him with a big clothesline. He followed with a Spinebuster, then signaled for the Masterlock. Masters locked the hold on his former rookie while Ziggler waved his towel around. The match was awarded to Masters.

Winner: Chris Masters wins via submission over Byron Saxton.

They showed an earlier segment from backstage where Daniel Bryan was trying to teach Derrick Bateman about submission holds. Bateman said he just doesn't get it. Gail Kim walked in, and Bryan said she'll show Bateman the guillotine hold. Bateman said girls don't know about submission wrestling. Gail put the hold on Bateman who soon passed out on the floor. Bryan said it was "hot" then made out with Kim as Bateman was trying to recover on the floor.

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After commercials, BRodus Clay was in the ring with Ricardo Rodrigeuz talking to him non-stop. Time for Clay to face his former pro, Ted Dibiase. Dibiase arrived for the match without girlfirend Maryse, but she showed up and went nearby the commentators.

Brodus Clay vs Ted Dibiase

During the match, Maryse gave her number to Grisham as part of a ploy. As Dibiase was being manhandled by Clay in the ring, Maryse pulled her cell phone out and snapped a picture of the action in the ring.

Clay was dominating the match as Maryse posed in front of the ring and shot another picture. Dibiase managed to clip Clay by hitting him in the knee. However, Dibiase became distracted as Maryse pretended she was going to kiss Todd Grisham. Instead she slapped Grisham. Clay hit a huge powerslam on Dibiase to get the victory.

Winner: Brodus Clay wins via pinfall over Ted Dibiase.

Another backstage segment featured Saxton trying to talk trash about R-Truth to Johnny Curtis. He told Curtis that Truth is talking bad about him behind his back. Curtis told Saxton that he and Truth are friends, but they're not. Saxton said Curtis can deny it all he wants but he knows the true story.

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Time for the next competition. This time they had a "Talk the Talk Challenge." The live Long Island crowd would play the role of judges for each rookie's in-ring speech. Saxton talked about WWE Pros, and mocked R-Truth's rap song. Truth came back by doing his original song and Ziggler said they sounded the same. Next up, Bateman dissed Dolph Ziggler saying he has the face of a worn-out catcher's mit. He said Ziggler's name was formerly, Turd Ferguson, which got the crowd into a silly "Turd" chant.

Curtis talked about Chris Masters, but said he can't follow up Bateman's impressive speech. Instead, Curtis slapped Clay in the face, then escaped the ring to hide near the commentators.

Finally, Brodus Clay talked about US Champion, Daniel Bryan. He made a remark that Bryan needs to bring Gail Kim to his apartment so he can show her what a real man is like. Bryan responded that a real man isn't a fat man. Clay gave a mean stare in Bryan's direction.

Striker surveyed the crowd which gave the biggest applause to Bateman, giving him the immunity points for "Talk the Talk."

They showed the Raw Rebound. It featured last night's "Raw Rumble Match" with John Cena, John Morrison, CM Punk, Randy Orton, R-Truth, Sheamus and Jerry Lawler battling it out for the chance to face The Miz at the Elimination Chamber PPV. Punk was eliminated by Orton, Orton by R-Truth. It came down to Cena, Sheamus and Lawler. Cena was on the apron and Sheamus shoved Lawler into Cena causing him to be eliminated. The winner was Jerry Lawler after Sheamus rushed at him with a Brogh Kick and John Cena pulled the ropes down outside the ring. Lawler goes on to face Miz for the title at Elimination Chamber, while the other six guys will compete in the actual Elimination Chamber match at the Pay-Per-View.

Josh Matthews and Todd Grisham talked about Jerry Lawler vs The Miz for the world title at Elimination Chamber PPV.

R-Truth arrived doing the "What's Up" entrance theme song allowing crowd members to particpate in the chorus. NXT Rookie Johnny Curtis was with him. Ricardo Rodriguez did some "Que Pasa's" as part of it.

Johnny Curtis & R-Truth vs. Daniel Bryan & Derrick Bateman

Early on R-Truth did a few hip tosses on Bateman to take control of things. The commentators talked about how Curtis and Bateman both won some immunity points earlier tonight. The two rookies ended up squaring off and getting into a bit of a brawl on the outside of the ring. NXT took a break as the pro's separated their rookies.

Back from break, Curtis was putting Bryan in a headlock in the ring. Matthews reminded fans that there will be an elimination next week. Voting opens tomorrow at 12PM EST on WWE.com. Curtis and Bryan ended up trading forearm uppercuts at one point with Bryan gaining control.

The action broke down with Truth jumping onto Bateman outside the ring. Curtis missed on his leg drop off the corner. Daniel Bryan managed to lock Curtis into the Labell Lock on the mat making him tap out.

Winners: Derrick Bateman and Daniel Bryan win via pinfall over R-Truth and Johnny Curtis.

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WWE NXT Results 01/25/11

WWE NXT Results from Cincinnati, Ohio:

Striker had all four of the remaining rookies in the ring for the first challenge of the night: Brodus Clay, Byron Saxton, Johnny Curtis and Derrick Bateman. Before the contest, Striker noted that there was a bit of a rules violation during last week's Matching Game. They showed surveillance video footage of Derrick Bateman handing Daniel Bryan a cheat sheet before the game with all the answers. Striker said due to this violation, Bateman would be penalized tonight.

The competition tonight was "Outthink the Fink" but none of the rookies succeeded in the contest. Therefore, no immunity points were earned.

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Daniel Bryan vs. Ted Dibiase

Bryan had his rookie Derrick Bateman at ringside, while Dibiase had his rookie Brodus Clay and girlfriend, Maryse. Late in this exciting matchup, Bryan had the upperhand after kicking Dibiase in the gut and then connecting on a slingshot kick through the ropes. However, when Bryan went for the suicide dive on the outside, Dibiase hit him with the elbow to the face. Once both men were back in the ring, Dibiase was able to hit Dream Street on Bryan and picked up the pinfall win.

Winner: Ted Dibiase wins via pinfall over Daniel Bryan.

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Back from break, they did the Royal Rumble by the Numbers video piece which highlighted various stats from the history of the Royal Rumble. Todd Grisham said favorites for the 2011 version include Kane, John Cena and Big Show, with Ted Dibiase a possible dark horse after his win tonight.

Backstage, they showed Maryse giddy about Dibiase's victory tonight. Dibiase instructed his rookie Brodus Clay to win tonight's four-way match and then keep Dibiase as his pro. Clay said he'd do that. Maryse started saying stuff in Frnech, and Dibiase responded "I don't speak French!"

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Brodus Clay vs. Derrick Bateman vs. Byron Saxton vs. Johnny Curtis
Fatal Fourway Elimination Match

The other three rookies teamed up on Bateman early on, eventually beating him up to the point of a quick pinfall. It was down to Brodus Clay, Byron Saxton and Johnny Curtis. Saxton and Curtis hit the double suplex on Clay. Clay rolled to the outside while Saxton and Curtis faced off in the ring. Saxton ended up tossing Curtis over the top rope out onto Clay as NXT went to commercial break.

Johnny Curtis landed a huge double leg drop off the corner after the break, then made the pinfall cover on Saxton. It came down to just Curtis versus Brodus Clay. Clay took control of things and used his foot to choke Curtis in the corner. Brodus Clay eventually overpowered Curtis and slammed him down to the mat by the throat, securing the pinfall.

Post-match, Ted Dibiase and Maryse arrived to the ring to congratulate their rookie. With the win, Striker asked Brodus if he wanted to switch pros. Clay started to talk about how Dibiase has the money, the power and the skills, but he isn't one thing - the Million Dollar Man. Clay said Dibiase can't control his women and he's the brokest rich dude he's ever met. Clay said he's switching pros and going with Alberto Del Rio from here forth.

Clay finished things by using his choke slam finisher on Dibiase, before walking over and staring at Maryse, then leaving the ring. He joined Del Rio up on the ramp to raise arms as the show ended.

Winner: Brodus Clay wins the Fatal Fourway and chooses Alberto Del Rio as his new pro.

WWE NXT Results 01/18/11

NXT Results from Tulsa, OK:

The show opened with highlights to show the ongoing feud between Ricardo Rodriguez and rookie Conor O'Brian. It also showed a recap of last week's double date which Derrick Bateman messed up for he and WWE pro Daniel Bryan. Tonight will be elimination night, with a second NXT rookie going home, just like Jacob Novak did a few weeks ago.

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Matt Striker had all the pros and remaining rookies assembled for a competition called "How Well Do You Know Your Pro?" Derrick Bateman ended up winning the competition, giving the rookie immunity for the elimination later tonight.

Byron Saxton vs Chris Masters

This match pitted Masters against his former rookie, Byron Saxton. At one point in this short match, Saxton was on the outside and utilized his new pro, Dolph Ziggler, as a distraction. Saxton took control of Masters in the ring, hitting a jawbreaker on him. However, Chris Masters staged a comeback after 3:30 minutes. Saxton kept trying to get a pinfall but couldn't. An enraged Saxton eventually fell to the Masterlock, giving Masters the win.

Winner: Chris Masters wins via submission over Byron Saxton.

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Daniel Bryan & Derrick Bateman vs. Ted Dibiase & Brodus Clay

In this matchup, Brodus had control against Daniel Bryan, but his pro, Dibiase, made a blind tag to enter the match. Clay wasn't happy with it, but deferred to the pro. Dibiase tried to hit Dream Street, but Bryan countered and hip tossed Dibiase. Bateman tagged in to hit a series of clotheslines for a near fall. Dibiase was angry and yelled at Clay for screwing things up. Clay told him he had the match won, then dropped off the apron, frustrated with Dibiase. The distraction allowed Bateman to steal the win with a rollup pinfall from behind Dibiase. Maryse laughed about what went down between Clay and Dibiase.

Winners: Derrick Bateman & Daniel Bryan win via pinfall over Ted Dibiase & Brodus Clay.

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Backstage, Conor O'Brian found pieces of cheese on the ground leading to a door. When he opened the door, Ricardo Rodriguez was on the other side and sprayed O'Brian in the face with bug spray. O'Brian tried to go after Rodriguez but was blinded. Alberto Del Rio came over to the commotion and said he won't be embarrassed in this way. Del Rio told them to settle their issues like men.

They showed the Raw Rebound featuring the main event match between John Cena and CM Punk. The battle was back and forth, until a mystery man arrived to the ring, bearing a resemblance to Batista. The new wrestler distracted Cena, allowing Punk to knock Cena down in the ring. The mystery wrestler got into the ring then kicked down CM Punk. However, moments later the wrestler slammed Cena to the mat, before Nexus joined he and Punk in the ring. Punk gave an armband to the newest member of The Nexus.

Identity of New Nexus Member Revealed!

Backstage, R-Truth found his rookie Johnny Curtis saying he was nervous about elimination night. Truth told Curtis to relax and loosen up so he could focus on winning. Truth told Curtis to get into the groove. Curtis started doing some weird-looking dance moves, so Truth told him it didn't look so good. Truth told Curtis to relax then slapped hands with him.

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Conor O'Brian vs. Ricardo Rodriguez

Rodriguez arrived to the ring in a white bathrobe, high socks and black sneakers. He got in the ring then announced himself in Spanish. Rodriguez took off his white robe to reveal a pair of black spandex trunks. Ricardo rushed O'Brian at the bell, but had no impact on his opponent. Alberto Del Rio watched from backstage as Conor took apart Rodriguez. Conor missed on an elbow drop, but kept at it.

O'Brian exposed one of the turnbuckles. The ref saw it, and eventually O'Brian went to strike Rodriguez in the corner, but hit the exposed steel instead. O'Brian hit face first then fell backwards flat on the mat. Rodriguez noticed the rookie was down. He kicked at him a bit, then rushed against the ropes to splash onto O'Brian for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Ricardo Rodriguez wins via pinfall over Conor O'Brian.

Matt Striker told the WWE Pros on stage to huddle up and prepare their votes for the upcoming rookie elimination.

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Josh Matthews reminded fans to watch past episodes of NXT on YouTube, Hulu and WWE.com.

Time for the next elimination of Season 4 of NXT. Striker said Derrick Bateman is immune from elimination tonight. Striker asked him who should go him tonight. Bateman said the man with the most punchable face in all of the WWE, Byron Saxton.

Striker turned things over to the Titantron for the latest elimination to be revealed. The rookie pictures flashed until finally it stopped on the image of Conor O'Brian. Striker gave him the mic to talk over what happened. Conor started his speech, but Ricardo Rodriguez interrupted and gave his best introduction of him on the mic all season. O'Brian took exception and snapped back at Rodriguez, then chased him backstage.

Conor came back down the ramp and Striker told him he has 20 seconds to give his thoughts. O'Brian said "You all suck, the rat has officially left the building!" Conor O'Brian lifted up the ring apron cover then went under the ring Hornswoggle style. The other NXT rookies were confused and looked under the ring. Grisham said that's it for this week, just four rookies remain now (Curtis, Bateman, Saxton and Clay).

NXT Elimination Will Be...

There's been some interesting characters on Season 4 of NXT, as the weekly show on WWE.com will hold its second elimination in next week. Voting started earlier on Wednesday and it seems likely that the next rookie wrestler to go will be one Conor O'Brian.

Already eliminated was Jacob Novak a week prior. He was traded away by his mentor Dolph Ziggler, allowing Ziggler to keep Byron Saxton as his rookie. If Conor O'Brian is going next, will that mean Alberto Del Rio gets some way to make a trade? It seems WWE wants Del Rio in the spotlight right now, based on his arrival on Raw two weeks in a row, and his big win over Rey Mysterio on Smackdown.

Right now the top rookies appear to be Derrick Bateman, Johnny Curtis and then Brodus Clay. Bateman and Curtis don't really have any sort of unique appearance in-ring, but their personality seems to be winning over WWE fans. Bateman is just plain goofy, while Curtis is personable and likable. Byron Saxton seems to have the ingredients to be a decent heel character in the WWE. Brodus Clay has that huge domineering look that guys like Umaga and Rikishi had most recently. It's tough at this point to see any of those four not having a job in the WWE, but stranger things have happened.

Expect to see Conor O'Brian and his rat-like ways get the boot on next Tuesday's show, which should make Ricardo Rodriguez a happy Mariachi.

WWE NXT Results 01/11/11

WWE NXT Results from Birmingham, AL:

First competition of the night was the Slingshot Challenge. The rookies were up on stage. Pros were in the ring with a slingshot device where they had to slingshot T-shirts up to their rookies on stage. The rookies had to catch as many as they could and put them into a plastic receptacle.

Johnny Curtis 0
Byron Saxton 1
Derrick Bateman 2
Brodus Clay 0
Conor O'Brian 1

Derrick Bateman and Daniel Bryan won the competition with 2. Conor O'Brian caught a second shirt but he threw it into the receptacle after the buzzer had sounded.

Backstage, Ricardo Rodriguez was talking on a cell phone in Spanish. Rodriguez was complaining he's having a problem with a rat and he hates him because he's big and stinks.

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Byron Saxton vs. Conor O'Brian

Ziggler and Del Rio were on the apron to coach their respective rookies. Grisham talked about how O'Brian takes being a rat seriously as he sleeps during the day and only eats cheese.

Saxton had several near falls late in the match. O'Brian started hitting forearm uppercuts on Saxton. Saxton had another move for a near fall. Saxton whipped O'Brian hard to the corner, then yanked him by the feet from there and dropped him. Another near fall ensued. O'Brian grabbed Saxton from behind in a full nelson and slammed him to the mat finally for the win. Ziggler just shrugged it off.

Post-match, Del Rio got in the ring and ordered Rodriguez to get in too to announce O'Brian as the winner. Ricardo didn't seem too enthusiastic about it though.

Winner: Conor O'Brian wins via pinfall over Byron Saxton.

Josh Matthews talked about Daniel Bryan and Derrick Bateman going on a date after Raw last night. They showed highlights of Bryan and Bateman back in the locker room. Bateman was wearing a suit jacket white shirt and tie with red,white and blue patriotic pants. Bateman gave a strange speech about their date saying he'd jump on the grenade and smother the wildebeast. Bryan asked which of the Bellas is a wildebeast. Bateman said time will tell then handed Bryan a sunflower to give the Bella on a date. Bryan told Bateman to relax on the date. Bateman said he's a lady man, Bryan's mother told him.

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Time for the second challenge of the night, Superstar Password. The rookies were up on stage with Matt Striker. Striker reminded fans that Derrick Bateman had 2 immunity points ahead of next week's elimination. Striker said tonight the rookies will have to show off how mentally attuned they are with their WWE Pros. The rookie would have to try to convey a superstar to their pro without saying certain words or the superstar's actual name. Whoever

Johnny Curtis & R-Truth: 2
Byron Saxton & Dolph Ziggler: 2
Derrick Bateman and Daniel Bryan: 3
Brodus Clay and Ted Dibiase/Maryse: 1
Conor O'Brian and Alberto Del Rio: 1

Maryse kept guessing various fashion brands to interrupt Dibiase's guesses, so Clay was upset with her after they lost. Derrick Bateman won his second competition of the night to achieve four immunity points heading into next week's elimination.

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After an outside camera shot of the arena, they replayed the highlight video about Shawn Michaels from last night's Raw. Michaels is the first inductee for the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame to be announced. The induction ceremony is April 2nd in Atlanta, Georgia, just one night before Wrestlemania 27.

They showed footage from last night's double date after Raw with Derrick Bateman, Daniel Bryan and The Bellas. The Bellas both seemed more enamored with Bryan and like they were turned off about Bateman. Nikki shoved a piece of bread into Bateman's mouth to shut him up. The Bellas got into a fight over Daniel Bryan, and their text messages to him. A drink got spilled on Bateman so he became enraged over his pants getting messed up. Bateman pulled a bag of change out and tossed it to Bryan saying that would pay for the drinks. Bryan gave it to the Bellas, apologized and left the scene.

---

"Living in a Dream" by Finger Eleven is the official theme song for the 2011 Royal Rumble.

Voting opens tomorrow at 12 Noon EST on WWE.com for the second elimination of NXT Season 4.

Johnny Curtis vs. Ted Dibiase

Truth was in the ring with Curtis. Brodus Clay and Maryse were at ringside to root on Dibiase.

Curtis had nice momentum as he dropped Dibiase then flipped him to the mat, whipped him to the corner and suplexed Dibiase before posing for the fans. Curtis tried to jump from the apron over the rope with a leg drop, but missed. Dibiase was in control as NXT went to a commercial.

NXT returned with Dibiase applying a headlock to Curtis on the mat. Curtis lunged at Brodus Clay through the ropes at one point, allowing Dibiase to attack from behind and choke Curtis against the ropes. Dibiase scored a late Powerbomb for a near fall with Curtis barely escaping. Curtis tried to get out of the ring, but only got to the apron. Dibiase tried to hit a running knee on Curtis through the ropes, but Curtis ducked and hit an uppercut forearm on Dibiase. Curtis gained momentum again.

Curtis went for a backslide pin, but Dibiase countered, so Curtis used a suplex for a near fall. Maryse finally got on the apron to distract the referee. Dibiase whipped Curtis to the ropes for Brodus Clay to hammer down from behind. Truth saw it, then went over and jumped off the apron to take down Clay. This distraction brought Dibiase over to the ropes to yell at Truth. Curtis took advantage by grabbing Dibiase for a rollup pinfall.

Post-match, Maryse yelled at Brodus Clay for messing things up and threw her shoes at him.

Winner: Johnny Curtis wins via pinfall over Ted Dibiase.

---

WWE NXT Results 01/04/11

WWE NXT Results from Tucson, AZ:

Tonight's NXT show opened with highlights of the various rookies in competitions, competing in the ring and interacting with their pro mentors. On tonight's episode the first elimination for NXT Season 4 will take place.

Matt Striker had the NXT rookies up on the stage. He talked of the elimination and also what the winning rookie of NXT Season 4 gets. Striker said they will get a future championship match, and it will be for the WWE Tag Team titles. They'll challenge for those titles along with their pro mentor.

From there, Striker said the WWE Pros will compete tonight to start the show in an over-the-top battle royal. The winning pro gets the opportunity to trade away his rookie if he chooses. All the pros headed to the ring with Ricardo Rodriguez arriving out to stop Del Rio. Rodriguez begged to take Del Rio's place in the match to prove himself. Del Rio said sure.

WWE Pro's Over-The-Top-Rope Battle Royal

Winning pro gets the choice to trade away his NXT rookie if he wants. The first elimination was Ricardo Rodriguez in place of Del Rio. Daniel Bryan put him in a long airplane spin, then Truth tossed Rodriguez out. It was down to five pros.

Dolph Ziggler managed to toss out Daniel Bryan, then yelled at him outside the ring. Chris Masters came over to chest chop Ziggler, then tossed him into the corner for more abuse. R-Truth was the next guy eliminated courtesy of Dibiase. Masters put the Masterlock on Ziggler, but Dibiase came over to break it up. Ziggler rolled out of the ring while Dibiase and Masters fought. Masters had Dibiase over the ropes. Ziggler rushed in and grabbed Masters from behind to toss him out of the ring.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler wins the over-the-top-rope battle royal.

Post-match, Ziggler got on the mic saying he won fair and square so he deserves a round of applause. He told Novak he never liked him at all, so he's trading him away. Ziggler said he wants Byron Saxton instead. Novak was upset and headed to the ring. Striker stopped him saying that Novak will be facing Saxton in the ring next.

Matthews and Grisham talked about the trade. Matthews said Ziggler is putting himself in the position to maybe win the tag titles. Grisham noted tonight will be the first elimination of NXT. Ziggler and the other pros may already know who's going home based on the trade.

---

Byron Saxton vs. Jacob Novak

Chris Masters was now with Novak to coach him in the match. Saxton was teamed up with Ziggler on the apron to coach him.

Novak got some early offense in to knock down Saxton. Ziggler yelled "why didn't you do that when you were with me?" Novak continued to pound on Saxton as he whipped him to the corner and stomped on him. After an elbow drop he had a near fall. Novak put an arm lock headlock on to keep Saxton down.

Saxton started a comeback as he whipped Novak to the ropes and elbowed him down. Saxton had the near fall with Ziggler telling him "next time hook the leg like I would." Novak took the advantage again as he smashed Saxton face first into the corner. Novak continued to try to win with a near fall, then another submission hold before he tossed him to the mat. Novak missed on the elbow drop though.

In the final moments, Novak went for a suplex move but Saxton managed to use his weight to come down and counter. He hit a finisher to plant Novak into the mat for the pinfall. Ziggler was pleased with his rookie's victory.

Winner: Byron Saxton wins via pinfall over Jacob Novak.

Backstage, Johnny Curtis was telling R-Truth he was irked and upset last week and it was out of line. Truth said he doesn't have time for that and walked off. Curtis was left wondering what was up. Truth came back to shake his hand saying he was kidding. Truth talked about how Curtis can win NXT and Curtis made up some story of them being a two man wolfpack traveling the desert. Truth said he had no clue what Curtis is talking about. Curtis said he didn't either. Truth said "that's what's up!"

---

NXT returned to show the Raw Rebound. Highlights were shown from last night's big #1 Contender's Steel Cage Match. Sheamus, Randy Orton and Wade Barrett battled for the right to face The Miz for the WWE Title at 2011 Royal Rumble. They showed highlights of The Viper in a tough battle against his two opponents. Sheamus was shown nearly winning but Orton grabbed his leg near the door exit. Barrett managed to kick Orton and Sheamus down near the ropes then scaled the cage wall. CM Punk rushed down and climbed the other side of the wall. He offered Barrett his hand to help, then tore off Wade's Nexus arm band. Punk kicked Barrett down to the mat then left. The finale saw Randy Orton able to hit the RKO on Sheamus and leave the cage as the winner. Orton will face The Miz at 2011 Royal Rumble.

Josh Matthews said big stories from Raw last night: Barrett is out of Nexus and Orton will face Miz at the Rumble.

They showed footage from earlier today of Derrick Bateman and his pro mentor, Daniel Bryan. Bateman suggested that he help out Bryan with his love triangle problem with the Bellas. Bateman said he'll go on a date with them. Bryan said it was a bad idea, but Bateman said he'd pay. Bryan warmed up to it. Bateman said they're about wrestling, chicks and America!...he rolled an American flag down behind him to complete the segment.

Byron Saxton was backstage bragging about his first official win under his new pro. Ziggler said it's a big day. Saxton said the sound of Byron Saxton and Ziggler as tag champions sounds good. Ziggler said to remember that his last rookie didn't listen about staying away from his girlfriend. Saxton said no problem. He told Ziggler he'd have something special to say about Novak during the Battle of The Mic competition next. Saxton said he'll be 2-0.

---

Matt Striker had the rookies in the ring for the Battle of the Mic challenge. Tonight's winner gets 4 immunity points.

Brodus Clay went first and said how hilarious it was when he threw Curtis threw a table. The crowd booed him. Curtis got on the mic saying how funny it was when he punched him in the mouth. Clay said he never did, then Curtis punched him. They had to hold the two guys apart. Curtis won the crowd response on that first battle.

Derrick Bateman battled Byron Saxton. Bateman said his opponent was the love child of Carlton Banks and a shorter uglier Carlton Banks. Saxton said when Bateman looks in the mirror he realizes he's never going to be any better than Carlton Banks Byron Saxton. Bateman won that one due to crowd approval so Saxton went backstage.

Jacob Novak battled Conor O'Brian talking about how Conor thinks he's a rat. Novak said the bottom line is he makes this look good. O'Brian talked about how Novak needs two entrances, one for himself and one for his nose.

It came down to Curtis, Bateman and O'Brian. They now had 30 seconds to insult their 2 other opponents. Curtis spent too much time dissing Bateman, then said he really likes rats so he has nothing bad to say about Conor. Conor O'Brian did some insult jokes about your mama's so fat and you're so stupid. O'Brian won with his comedy routine to get 4 immunity points. Those were the first points scored by O'Brian in NXT Season 4.

Grisham said that Johnny Curtis has immunity for the first elimination with 5 total points. However, he can't rest easy as he'll go one-on-one with Brodus Clay next.

---

Johnny Curtis vs. Brodus Clay

Grisham and Matthews reviewed the earlier highlight when Curtis punched Clay in the mouth. Early on, Curtis managed to pound on Clay and caused him to go out over the ropes. Moments later, back in the ring, Clay had an impressive suplex slam on Curtis then a huge elbow drop. Dibiase cheered Brodus' aggression on. Maryse laughed from ringside. Truth was on the apron to coach Curtis.

Clay used a submission pinch move on Curtis' shoulder muscles, but Curtis stood up and used forearm uppercuts on Clay. Curtis managed a comeback as he took down Clay with a spinning kick move then a flying bodypress from the corner. Curtis rushed over and took a swipe at Dibiase on the apron. When Curtis went back over he got slammed hard to the mat by Brodus Clay who got the pinfall win.

Post-match, Dibiase got in the ring and started yelling at the fallen Curtis. Truth came in to get involved on behalf of his rookie. Clay stared at Truth. Dibiase raised up Brodus' arm in victory. Maryse joined them in the ring. Striker interviewed Clay about what motivates him and he said all those years he was held back and pushed aside fuels his drive.

Winner: Brodus Clay wins via pinfall over Johnny Curtis.

---

Tonight's episode and past episodes of NXT are available on YouTube, Hulu and WWE.com.

Back for the grand finale, the first rookie elimination of NXT Season 4. Striker had all the rookies standing in front of the ring, bottom of the ramp. Johnny Curtis has immunity and can't be eliminated. Striker interviewed him about who should go home tonight. Curtis said that big bag of stink, Brodus Clay. He asked Clay how his jaw feels. Clay shot him a look.

Striker had them do the graphics on the Titantron flashing all of the rookie pictures. The first elimination was Jacob Novak who was the man traded earlier in the show. Novak said this was an opportunity to change his life, not just become the next WWE Superstar. Ziggler was rolling on the stage.

Striker said there will be another elimination in two weeks. He said the immunity points go back to 0 now. As Novak went backstage, Ziggler bragged on the mic telling Masters that he's a genius and his rookie sucks. Ziggler was laughing down the ramp so Masters went up and grabbed him, nearly getting the Masterlock on him. Ziggler ran backstage.

Meanwhile at ringside a fight nearly broke out between Brodus Clay and Johnny Curtis, with the other rookies intervening.

---

WWE NXT Results 12/28/10

WWE NXT Results from Rochester, NY:

Todd Grisham and Josh Matthews were on hand to open the show. Grisham noted we're just a few days away from a new year. R-Truth arrived doing his rap entrance. Truth was with his NXT rookie Johnny Curtis and asked Rochester "What's Up?" Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero arrived out with rookie Jacob Novak next.

Johnny Curtis vs. Dolph Ziggler

Grisham noted that no NXT rookies have beaten a pro yet this season. Ziggler got the early advantage and started to stomp away on Curtis in the corner. Ziggler flipped Curtis down and locked a headlock on him. Ziggler remained in control. Outside the ring Novak was near Vickie and Ziggler yelled at his rookie to keep his hands off his girl.

Curtis started a comeback with European uppercuts. He went for the suplex, but Ziggler landed on his feet and kicked Curtis down, then punched away on him. A neckbreaker was next in line for a near fall. Curtist started another comeback and was able to take control with a variety of moves including a huge slam. Curtis went for the high risk leg drop, but Ziggler rolled out of harm's way. Ziggler got up and grabbed Curtis from behind hitting the ZigZag to win it.

Post-match, Jacob Novak and Vickie Guerrero joined Dolph Ziggler in the ring to celebrate.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler wins via pinfall over Johnny Curtis.

Later tonight, rookie Byron Saxton will take on pro mentor Ted Dibiase.

---

They showed a commercial for Royal Rumble 2011 featuring a variety of superstars saying "I will main event Wrestlemania." John Cena, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio were among those featured.

When NXT returned, Josh Matthews said fans could see WWE.com's countdown of the Top 25 matches of 2010.

Derrick Bateman vs. Conor O'Brian

Kofi Kingston and Alberto Del Rio were on the apron to coach the rookies. Grisham said Kofi is filling in for Daniel Bryan who couldn't be there tonight. Early on Bateman tried to put a leg lock on O'Brian who grabbed the bottom rope. O'Brian gained control with an arm hold on the mat. Bateman got up but Conor smashed him back down for a near fall.

Bateman made a comeback as he splashed onto O'Brian in the Conor, then took him down for a near fall of his own. Bateman hit a neckbreaker for another near fall, as Grisham said his favorite so far is Saxton. Josh Matthews said he favors Brodus Clay so far. Meanwhile, O'Brian hit his finishing slam move for the pinfall victory. Alberto Del Rio instructed his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez, to announce Conor O'Brian as the winner. Del Rio seemed pleased with his rookie's victory.

Winner: Conor O'Brian wins via pinfall over Derrick Bateman.

Backstage, Dibiase was yelling at Maryse for spending so much money at one store. Brodus Clay walked up to praise his pro mentor for being everything he wants to be. Clay said Dibiase has the money, the skills and the girls. Dibiase thought Clay was patronizing him. He told him to go grab a pen and paper so he could take notes when Dibiase gets in the ring later. Clay left, then Dibiase told Maryse she needs "Shoppers Anonymous."

---

NXT returned with host Matt Striker on stage with the six rookies for tonight's first competition. Striker reminded fans that starting tomorrow at 12 Noon EST the first voting round starts. First rookie elimination is next week. Currently, Derrick Bateman has 3 immunity points, Curtis has 2, Novak and Saxton have 1 apiece.

Tonight's first rookie challenge was the "Power of the Punch" arcade machine. Striker said if they can break the all-time record of 896 set by Alex Riley they get extra points. Here's tonight's results from challenge 1:

Derrick Bateman 750
Johnny Curtis 814
Byron Saxton 625
Conor O'Brian 530
Jacob Novak 715
Brodus Clay 636

Johnny Curtis earned two immunity points and took the lead with the first elimination next week.

---

NXT returned with a shot of the river outside of the Blue Cross Arena. Christ Masters was in the ring with his rookie Byron Saxton. Ted Dibiase arrived out with NXT rookie Brodus Clay and girlfriend Maryse.

Byron Saxton vs. Ted Dibiase

Maryse told Clay on the outside to "try to stop messing up." Grisham noted during the early part of the match that Saxton says everyone says he looks like The Rock and that when his career's over he'll make "The Rock look like a pebble."

Early on, Dibiase sent Saxton into the corner then began to jump on him repeatedly. Maryse and Clay looked on as Dibiase taunted the crowd. Dibiase yelled to Brodus "This is how it's done," then put a headlock on Saxton down on the mat. Moments later, Saxton tried to get momentum but Dibiase hit a huge clothesline for a near fall.

Saxton had a near fall of his own with a Sunset Flip as he came from against the ropes. Dibiase knocked him right back down to punch away on Saxton, then kicked his head a few times. At one point, Saxton was hanging over the middle rope and Clay shoved him in the face. Dibiase knocked Saxton to the outside. Clay got all fired up and then rushed over to knock down Saxton on the outside. The ref saw it and called for the bell to DQ Dibiase.

Dibiase was not happy with his rookie at all. Once Clay and Maryse got in the ring, Dibiase ordered Maryse to slay Clay in the face. Dibiase told him "that's what you get" and kept yelling at Brodus. Brodus stared at Dibiase, smiled a bit and then stayed in the ring as Maryse left with Dibiase.

Winner: Byron Saxton wins due to disqualification of Ted Dibiase when Brodus Clay interfered.

---

NXT returned to show the Raw Rebound. They showed highlights of what happened involving CM Punk and John Cena on Raw. Punk had attacked Cena twice in the last week with a steel chair. He arrived out last Monday night to tell Cena his first two attacks were warning shots. Punk said he has a bigger surprise for Cena later on.

Later in the night, Cena arrived to the ring to call out "CM Sucks." The Nexus arrived to the ring without Wade Barrett. David Otunga told Cena that Nexus has new management and he wants a truce with Cena. Cena said he doesn't trust Otunga and there will be no moving forward. Cena told them to turn around and move backward or throw hands and see what happens. Nexus started to leave, then rushed the ring and attacked Cena 5-on-1.

CM Punk arrived out as Nexus was walking up the ramp. He got into the ring to hit Cena with the GTS, then grabbed a steel chair and almost smashed it down on the fallen Cena. Instead, Punk sat down in the chair for a moment. Punk picked up a Nexus wristband and placed it ons his arm, then saluted the Nexus guys up on the ramp.

Matthews said he's excited to see the upcoming Raw to see how this plays out. Grisham said NXT next week will also be huge because one rookie is going home.

Johnny Curtis was backstage in the locker room when his pro mentor R-Truth arrived in. R-Truth said how many he wins does not define his character. Curtis said Truth hasn't been there the past few weeks and maybe if he had been he would've won. Truth said you learn more from your victories and losses. Curtis said "good talking, gotta go."

---

Smackdown on Friday at 8PM EST will feature a tag team main event featuring Edge and Mysterio versus Del Rio and Kane.

Tonight's episode of NXT and other past episodes can be seen on WWE.com, YouTube and Hulu.com.

They had a WWE NXT Talent Show as the next competition. Matt Striker had all of the rookies assembled in the ring with several dressed in costume. Striker noted that Johnny Curtis has 4 points to lead the immunity challenge. Derrick Bateman has 3 immunity points.

Bateman went first and did a Haiku about Rochester, New York called "Cheap Pop." Johnny Curtis went next and was wearing a sweatsuit. He grabbed a yellow ribbon to do a special dance in the ring. Byron Saxton read a fairytale about himself as the hero and Brodus Clay as the villain Claybull. The buzzer went off to end his story prematurely.

Conor O'Brian did "Joke Time with Conor O'Brian" which all bombed with the Rochester crowd. Striker said maybe Brodus Clay should just destroy all the other rookies as his talent. Jacob Novak said he would do his talent next and just "look good." He got a steel chair, sat in it, took off his hair band, jacket and put on shades. Novak kicked the steel chair out of the ring and posed for the crowd.

Final contestant was Brodus Clay. He said he can make anyone from the back look "hood cool." Clay said to send anyone out from the back. They sent out Michael Cole who complained he had to come to this dump of a city. Cole said things haven't changed since he left NXT and the show still stinks. Clay had Cole put on a beanie hat and speak on any topic. Cole brought up that all the internet geeks voted for Kaval but how did that work out? Clay chipped in with "church" and "preach."

Johnny Curtis won the contest with his ribbon dancing, then started waving the ribbon in Clay's face. Brodus took exception to it and went at Curtis. The show ended with Clay leveling all of his fellow NXT rookies in the ring, and tossing Saxton across the ring. With all of the rookies layed out on the outside, Clay got back in the ring to let out several huge yells.

NXT Results 12/14/10

WWE NXT Results from New Orleans, LA:

Todd Grisham and Josh Matthews were handling commentary duties again. They sent it to the ring for host Matt Striker to introduce the Season 4 NXT rookies: Connor O'Brian, Jacob Novak, Johnny Curtis, Brodus Clay, Derrick Bateman and Byron Saxton. Matt Striker discussed the competition terms again, and congratulated Jacob Novak for winning the first competition last week, "Capture the Flag."

Tonight's first competition would be a karaoke challenge, with the live crowd as judges. Each superstar randomly chose a card from Striker which had the entrance theme for a WWE Superstar. O'Brian went first and sounded horrible, with his pro Del Rio standing up on the stage and looking disgusted. Derrick Bateman had to do The Miz's theme song but couldn't. Jacob Novak tried to do his own pro, Dolph Ziggler's theme song. Brodus Clay had to sing Cody Rhodes' theme song. Johnny Curtis got Orton's theme, which got a pop from the crowd, but he didn't do so well either. Byron Saxton got to go last, and got Shawn Michaels' theme song. Even though he mixed up the words the crowd gave him a decent amount of applause. Based on crowd response, Byron Saxton won the competition.

---

They returned with an outside shot of The Cajundome, then launched a video package on NXT Season 4 Rookie Jacob Novak. He talked about all the sports he played as a youngster, and said he's destined to dominate. Novak compared himself to current WWE Superstar, Jack Swagger.

Byron Saxton & Chris Masters vs. Brodus Clay & Ted Dibiase

As Masters and Saxton arrived to the ring, parts of the obstacle course were seen on the ramp and outside the ring. Maryse accompanied Dibiase and Clay to the ring.

Early on, Brodus shoved Saxton down to the mat, causing Saxton to back out under the ropes for a timeout. After another shove, Saxton taunted Clay then tagged in Masters. Brodus had some power offense against Masters, but the pro made his comeback, avoiding Clay on a corner charge. Masters tried to slap on the Masterlock, but Dibiase rushed in to break things up. Brodus kept dominating Masters, then tagged in Dibiase before a commercial break.

Masters continued to get dominated by Dibiase and Clay, with Saxton just watching from the apron as his pro was punished. Saxton finally got in, but against Brodus Clay. Saxton was able to elbow his way out of a charging Clay in the corner. Saxton tried to jump from the corner with Clay catching him in the bear hug, then slamming him hard to the mat. Masters tagged in and missed on a big knee drop. Saxton got away to tag in Masters who came in with a lot of offense against Dibiase. Clay tried to make a save, but Masters moved and Clay dropped on Dibiase instead. Masters prepared for the Masterlock, but Saxton slapped his back cockily from behind. Saxton told Masters it was his time now. He tried to take control of the match, but Dibiase got him with Dream Street to win it.

Winners: Ted Dibiase and Brodus Clay win via pinfall over Chris Masters and Byron Saxton.

Daniel Bryan walked in on his rookie Derrick Bateman in the locker room backstage. He talked to him about a submission move to use against Alberto Del Rio tonight. Bateman got a little too into the submission move attempt and started going wild yelling "Submission Wrestling" until Bryan kicked him in the face with his free foot. Bryan said it might have been a little too much too soon, then wished him luck in his match.

---

Time for the next competition, the Obstacle Course. Saxton and Novak each have 1 immunity point. The winner of the obstacle course will get 2 immunity points due to the degree of difficulty.

Here's each of the rookie's times:

Jacob Novak 37.9 seconds
Byron Saxton 1:02 minutes, seconds
Conor O'Brian 42.7 seconds
Derrick Bateman 35.7 seconds
Johnny Curtis 34.8 seconds - Curtis was DQ'd for falling off the balance beam*
Brodus Clay disqualified

Saxton was still hurt after getting hit by Dream Street so it took him over a minute to do the course. Someone was yelling "come on Rat boy" at Conor O'Brian as he tried to complete the course.

*Due to earlier confusion by the refs, the senior official gave Johnny Curtis another shot at the obstacle course after Brodus Clay had gone. Johnny Curtis got 31.4 seconds on his second attempt to earn 2 immunity points.

They showed a video package about rookie Johnny Curtis and how he started wrestling training outside in the woods in a ring when he was younger. Curtis said in 2005 his close friend was struck in an accident and killed. Curtis said he wears dog tags on his tights as a remembrance of his deceased friend.

---

They showed the Raw Rebound which covered the 2010 Slammy Awards. Winners included CM Punk, Michael Cole, Pee Wee Herman, LayCool and John Cena as Superstar of the Year. Wade Barrett came out and took his Slammy Award. Barrett called out Cena to the ring and officially re-hired him. Barrett said he was re-hired on two conditions, that he agrees to go one-on-one tonight against David Otunga, and that he goes one-on-one with him (Barrett) at TLC in a Chairs Match. Barrett and Nexus gave Cena a beatdown in the ring, including bashing a chair down on Cena. Later on that night, Cena fought Otunga in the main event. Barrett sent all the Nexus guys backstage, to leave Otunga alone for the match, just like Otunga had them do to Wade last week with Cena in the ring. Cena won the match by the STF, and continually bashed Otunga with a chair, showing Barrett what may happen to him Sunday.

Backstage, Jacob Novak walked in and shook Vickie's hand, saying how beautiful she was in person. Novak started to compliment Vickie and asked for some advice when Ziggler came walking in. He made sure Novak knew Vickie is his girlfriend. Ziggler asked Vickie to give them some alone time to talk. Vickie said bye to Novak and walked out. Ziggler asked Novak what was going on, and then told Novak to go find a quiet place to watch the main event. Novak said "sure thing boss" and walked off.

Ricardo Rodriguez was introduced in the ring, then did the introduction for Alberto Del Rio for the main event.

---

Derrick Bateman vs. Alberto Del Rio

Del Rio got the early advantage with a headlock on Bateman. Bateman tried to elbow out, but Del Rio knocked him down then punched away on him some. Grisham noted that Del Rio is likely preparing for Sunday's match against Mysterio at TLC PPV. Del Rio slammed Bateman back for a near fall. Daniel Bryan cheered on his rookie from the apron, while Brian O'Conor was ringside to support his pro, Del Rio.

Bateman got some momentum with a running neckbreaker, but couldn't capture the pinfall on Del Rio. He went for a dropkick in the corner, but Del Rio moved out of the way. Del Rio followed by tossing Bateman shoulder first into the corner. From there, Del Rio locked in the cross armbreaker submission to make Bateman quickly tap out. Daniel Bryan got in the ring to confront Del Rio and check on Bateman.

Ricardo Rodriguez was yelling in celebration outside the ring. Del Rio celebrated up on the corner, then his rookie O'Brian held his arm up as NXT ended.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio wins via submission over Derrick Bateman.

---

NXT Season 4 First Impressions: Brodus Clay & Byron Saxton Stand Out Early

On Tuesday night, the fourth season of NXT debuted on WWE.com. We got our first look at the latest crop of potential WWE Superstars, and several stood out amongst the cast of characters. The Season 4 NXT rookie are Brodus Clay, Byron Saxton, Johnny Curtis, Jacob Novak, Derrick Bateman and Brian O'Conor.

Most notable had to be the imposing and intimidating Brodus Clay. He's the one who is a former bodyguard for Snoop Dogg. Clay definitely has the name, the size and the ability to be one of those outside the ring enforcer/henchmen types in WWE. He reminds old school WWF fans of heftier wrestlers like Big Boss Man and One Man Gang. Even Clay's opening intro was delivered with a tough man style. During the fast-paced competition to set up a ladder in the ring, retrieve a flag and rush up the ramp he showed his agility too. This guy should get a spot in WWE after the competition no matter what he does on NXT. Of course we've yet to see him in the ring and guys of his size have been knocked in the past, like Mark Henry and Big Daddy V.

Also standing out was former ECW commentator Byron Saxton who portrays a cocky, self-centered know-it-all type. It's surprising he doesn't have someone like Cody Rhodes as his pro. They'll most likely play up the Chris Masters angle and have him disagreeing with his pro quite a bit, while goofing around on competitions. I really don't like when WWE allows this as part of the NXT overall competition, because anyone who hot dogs it and doesn't participate in challenges is just looking to get voted off due to fan dislike. Once again WWE is allowing the vote to be steered and swayed.

Beyond those two guys we really haven't seen a whole lot of personality, although it appears we do have more than NXT Season 3. They appear to be pulling a "Vickie/Kaitlyn" storyline with Alberto Del Rio and his rookie Brian O'Conor. Del Rio chewed his rook out on the first episode for a poorly done promo, but there was redemption when they won a tag team main event versus Bryan and his rook. Jacob Novak seems a good fit for Dolph Ziggler, and Derrick Bateman got some early support in his hometown. Most of the wrestlers have that typical wrestler look, but they'll need the personality factor to stand out and be unique. The two NXT rooks mentioned above have it, but we've got weeks to go.

Who is your favorite on the NXT Season 4 cast so far?

WWE NXT Results 12/7/10 - Season 4 Premiere

WWE NXT Results from Dayton, Ohio:

This episode marks the start of NXT Season 4. Todd Grisham was on hand for commentary along with Josh Matthews. Matt Striker was in the ring to introduce the WWE Pros, who each introduced their NXT rookies.

The WWE Pro/Rookie combos are Ted Dibiase/Maryse with Brodus Clay, Chris Masters with Byron Saxton, Derrick Bateman with Daniel Bryan, Jacob Novak with Dolph Ziggler and Johnny Curtis with R-Truth. Josh Matthews noted that Byron Saxton was a former ECW commentator. Ricardo Rodriguez came to the stage to intro Alberto Del Rio who drove out in a fancy convertible to have Rodriguez introduce his rookie Conor O'Brian.

Everyone assembled in the ring together with Striker talking about the upcoming weeks of competition on NXT Season 4. Each rookie got some time to make an introduction about themself. Some decent intros from the various characters in the ring. Brodus Clay said he was coming at them with lemon juice and razor blades. He told the WWE Universe they can only do two things "nothing and like it." Bateman got a huge pop because he's from Ohio and the crowd cheered for him being in his homestate. Conor O'Brian did his intro but Alberto Del Rio didn't like it. He called O'Brian's intro boring, just like Daniel Bryan. Bryan chipped in saying Del Rio is just jealous because he never won any titles. Del Rio and Bryan almost got into it. Striker stepped in between them saying it looks like we have our first main event, as the team of Del Rio/O'Brian vs. Bryan/Bateman.

They showed a promo video about NXT Rookie Byron Saxton who said he's wanted to wrestle since he was 4-years-old. He used to work as a weatherman and as an ECW commentator with Josh Matthews. Saxton said when ECW collapsed, NXT became his big opportunity for success.

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Johnny Curtis vs. Jacob Novak

R-Truth and Ziggler were up on the apron to coach their rookies in the match. Curtis went for the early backslide but Novak kicked out then turned the momentum in his favor, using a backdrop to slam Ziggler down. Later still, Curtis made a comeback hitting a powerslam on Novak for a near fall. With Novak down, Curtis went to the top rope and hit a big leg drop on him to finally pick up the opening victory.

Winner: Johnny Curtis wins via pinfall over Jacob Novak.

Grisham introduced a Brodus Clay video package. He's the former bodyguard for Snoop Dogg, 6'8 and 360lbs from Pasadena, CA. He said with NXT he's in business for himself though.

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Time for the first rookie challenge. Striker explained the immunity from elimination based on whoever wins most competitions. The first challenge is to grab a ladder set it up in the ring and snatch a flag then run it back up the ramp. Whoever does it fastest wins this competition.

Johnny Curtis 28.6 seconds
Conor O'Brian 28.2 seconds
Brodus Clay 33.5 seconds
Byron Saxton 56.8 seconds
Jacob Novak 26.9 seconds
Derrick Bateman 27.3 seconds

Brodus Clay looked agile for his size. Byron Saxton was cocky and goofed around instead of taking the competition seriously, jogging up the ramp. Dolph's rookie Jacob Novak wins the opening competition with the best time.

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They showed Raw Rebound which covered last night's opening with Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler. Orton arrived out to confront Cole, with The Miz coming out to interrupt. Orton ultimately RKO'd Cole, requiring medical staff to come take him away. Miz's protege Alex Riley had to face Orton in the main event. Miz interfered to cause a DQ, then set up a table to indicate they'd be having a Tables match at the TLC PPV. Miz went to do a Skullcrushing Finale on Orton, but Orton escaped. He was going to slam Miz through the table, but Miz escaped. Orton Powerbombed Riley through the table instead. Raw closed with a staredown: Miz on the ramp with his WWE Title and Orton in the ring glaring at him.

Grisham and Matthews ran down the matches for TLC Pay-Per-View so far.

Backstage, Dibiase and Maryse were arguing over their mixed tag loss last night on Raw. Dibiase asked rookie Brodus to excuse them for a second. Dibiase and Maryse got on the same page. Ted started to coach Brodus about winning the competition, with Maryse chiming in that he needs a makeover. Dibiase said if Brodus listens to him, then corrected it and said "them" he'll be fine. Dibiase took Brodus off on his own to answer questions, leaving Maryse angered by the snub.

Chris Masters walked in and found his rookie Byron Saxton rubbing moisturizer on his body. Masters and Saxton compared workout tips, then Saxton said he has a photoshoot for WWE.com to do, and walked off.

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Official theme song for the TLC PPV is "Na Na Na" by My Chemical Romance.

Daniel Bryan & Derrick Bateman vs. Alberto Del Rio & Brian O'Conor

Bryan did a long airplane spin during the match on O'Conor, then dropkicked him out through the ropes. Del Rio went over on the apron, so Bryan knocked him off. Del Rio and O'Conor recovered outside the ring as NXT went to a commerical break.

After break, Del Rio got momentum back in his team's favor and started using submission holds on Bryan to wear him down. During the match, Dolph Ziggler got on an open mic and said "this match sucks." Meanwhile, Daniel Bryan was throwing punches at Del Rio in the ring and his rookie on the apron. He did a running leg lauriat to take down Del Rio, then crawled over and made the hot tag to Bateman.

Moments later, Daniel Bryan took out O'Conor outside the ring. Del Rio and Bateman were still legal in the ring. Bateman made a mistake going for a high risk move off the corner. Del Rio shovedh im down, then locked on the armbreaker submission to make him tap out.

The show closed out with Del Rio gloating with his rookie over the win, while Bryan checked on Bateman in the ring to make sure his arm was OK.

Winners: Alberto Del Rio and Brian O'Conor win via submission over Daniel Bryan & Derrick Bateman.

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